Lesson learned with crappy Kenda tires....

[jcthorne]

What's your answer for replacement tires

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

For the Spyder, Yokohama S-Drive 205/55 - 15 is the best option out there right now in the right dimensions.

 

[Bob Denman]

JC,
What do the S-Drives sell for?
I realize that you can easily find 50 different prices for every tire ever made.
If the OEMs sell for about 160 , and Kumho falls in at about $85: where are these? :dontknow:

 

[Gray Ghost]

It doesn't seem that the motorcycle magazines and market have taken the Spyder serious yet. The spyder is not put in comparison articals with other street machines.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/10/0...hree-wheeler-first-ride-review-photos-pricing
http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/10/0...rst-ride-review-photos-specifications-pricing
http://ridermagazine.com/2016/01/07/2016-can-am-spyder-f3-limited-road-test-review/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/2015/05/06/brp-celebrates-the-100000th-can-am-spyder/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/2014/10/19/2015-can-spyder-f3-brps-muscle-trike/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/2016/06/29/2017-can-am-spyder-f3-s-now-with-sport-mode/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/magazine/read/march-april-2015/page/112/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/magazine/read/march-april-2008/page/90/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/magazine/read/january-february-2010/page/22/
http://www.roadrunner.travel/magazine/read/march-april-2013/page/82/

These were from a quick search. The AMA magazine has also written up the Spyder.

 

[jcthorne]

JC,
What do the S-Drives sell for?
I realize that you can easily find 50 different prices for every tire ever made.
If the OEMs sell for about 160 , and Kumho falls in at about $85: where are these? :dontknow:

$86 at tire rack or discount tire

 

[Bob Denman]

Thanks! :thumbup:
They're going on the list of potential candidates...
I'm at 9,000 miles on my Kumho now, and it is definitely showing some age. :shocked:

 

[Fat Baxter]

I'd be happy if BRP simply allowed their dealers to install non-OEM tires. All the dealers in my region won't do it, which forces me to use third-party services. Make us sign a waiver if necessary, but stop being so anal!

And as long as we're talking about Kenda weirdness, I have something going on with my stock front tires. As I ride and look down at the front tires, the left tire looks like a solid, black spinning disk, as it should. But the right tire appears to be fluttering -- i.e., not presenting a solid spinning profile. The edge looks kinda feathery in comparison to the left tire. But the odd thing is, there's no vibration in the front end, and there's no unusual wear on the tread. I have about 12K miles on them.

Since there don't appear to be any handing or wear issues, I can't see bothering the dealer about it just yet. Besides, if they recommend replacing the tire, they'll only recommend another crappy Kenda. Then I'll have 1 new tire and 1 with 12K miles on it. When it comes time to replace them, I'll use non-OEM tires and probably have my local tire dealer do it anyway.

All of this fretting would be unnecessary if BRP weren't so anal about non-OEM tires in the first place (hint, hint).

 

[Deanna777]

Albuquerque dealer only sold Kenda for Spyders. Was my only choice being that far from home. At least they had one and took care of me promptly and fairly. I really cannot fault this dealer.

JC, Thanks for the update. Deanna

 

[r1100rider]

I completely disagree. You can specify what ever you want. Chinese manufactures will produce what ever they think they can get away with and then replace a small qty of what they get caught, if then. I have had to deal with very poor chinese steel on Russian projects for years. Its flat out dangerous and they DO NOT CARE.

This is a problem and we should stand up to the China products and say (if want to sell into our market you wll be liable) instead we let them thumb there nose at us and say so sorry we are a communist country and your laws don't apply to us . I'm a retailer and I swear this is true I was unpacking a lamp and it had a note in it that said tested to UL standards in Spongewood China well that made me feel so much better knowing that if It hurt someone and I was sued I would pick up the whole tab since our courts can't touch the Chinese communists. Maybe BRP should think about that

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I'd be happy if BRP simply allowed their dealers to install non-OEM tires. All the dealers in my region won't do it, which forces me to use third-party services. Make us sign a waiver if necessary, but stop being so anal!

It is not BRP who has the reins on dealers, it's Federal regulation. Here is a quote from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, 49 CFR 571.119 - Standard No. 119; New pneumatic tires for motor vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) and motorcycles.

S5.1 Each manufacturer of tires shall ensure that a listing of the rims that may be used with each tire that he produces is provided to the public. For purposes of this section each rim listing shall include dimensional specifications and a diagram of the rim. However a listing compiled in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section need not include dimensional specifications or a diagram of a rim if the rim's dimensional specifications and diagram are contained in each listing published in accordance with paragraph (b) of this standard. The listing shall be in one of the following forms:
(a) Listed by manufacturer name or brand name in a document furnished to dealers of the manufacturer's tires, to any person upon request, and in duplicate to: Docket Section, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590; or
(b) Contained in publications, current at the date of manufacture of the tire or any later date, of at least one of the following organizations:
The Tire and Rim Association
The European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation
Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers' Association, Inc.
Deutsche Industrie Norm
British Standards Institution
Scandinavian Tire and Rim Organization
The Tyre and Rim Association of Australia

If the tire manufacturer does not include motorcycle rims in its list of compatible rims for a particular tire, then the manufacturer is saying that tire is not suitable to be mounted on a motorcycle rim. If you were a tire installer would you want the liability of mounting an ATV tire onto a car rim? That's an extreme example, but you get the point. Any tire installer who is willing to mount a car tire on your Spyder rim is doing so only because he has zero, or near zero, expectation of a fitment problem and no expectation you will sue him if the tire comes off the rim and causes you to crash. BRP is not going to keep in their stable of dealers those who openly flaunt Federal safety regulations. Any Spyder dealer who does mount a car tire on a m/c rim does so only because he expects such actions to stay below the radar.

We members of this forum would do well to NEVER name here on the forum ANY Can Am dealer who is willing to mount a car tire on a Spyder rim. They're doing us a favor. Let's not draw attention to them.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I completely disagree. You can specify what ever you want.

I should have included monitoring. When I was working for the Dept of Energy we bought a bunch of large oil and water pumps. No one in the US makes such castings any more so the manufacturer ordered them from China. He had a full time representative onsite watching the production process in China and there were no significant problems with the castings. Had there been no rep on site, then yes, we quite possibly would have gotten bad stuff. China CAN make good stuff. Witness Apple products. Getting them to do it though, is the challenge.

Chinese manufactures will produce what ever they think they can get away with and then replace a small qty of what they get caught, if then.

Sadly, that attitude is not limited to China. There is plenty of it within American businesses.

 

[Fat Baxter]

"It is not BRP who has the reins on dealers, it's Federal regulation."

Aha! I stand corrected. Then we need to lean on BRP.

Is there an exception for aftermarket wheels? How does that work with an automotive store that specializes in custom wheels (like the big, shiny 24+ inch chrome ones that the urban assault commandos favor on their jacked-up donks)?

 

[AeroPilot]

Yeah.. I have an OEM Kenda that looks like its fluttering too..

I'd be happy if BRP simply allowed their dealers to install non-OEM tires. All the dealers in my region won't do it, which forces me to use third-party services. Make us sign a waiver if necessary, but stop being so anal!

And as long as we're talking about Kenda weirdness, I have something going on with my stock front tires. As I ride and look down at the front tires, the left tire looks like a solid, black spinning disk, as it should. But the right tire appears to be fluttering -- i.e., not presenting a solid spinning profile. The edge looks kinda feathery in comparison to the left tire. But the odd thing is, there's no vibration in the front end, and there's no unusual wear on the tread. I have about 12K miles on them.

Since there don't appear to be any handing or wear issues, I can't see bothering the dealer about it just yet. Besides, if they recommend replacing the tire, they'll only recommend another crappy Kenda. Then I'll have 1 new tire and 1 with 12K miles on it. When it comes time to replace them, I'll use non-OEM tires and probably have my local tire dealer do it anyway.

All of this fretting would be unnecessary if BRP weren't so anal about non-OEM tires in the first place (hint, hint).

Took me awhile to examine and see some molding ribbon left from the tire mold process. I quess if it bothers me much more I'll jack up that wheel and use a razor to trim the flashing off. Sure looks weird going down the road,even after 10,000 miles,,hehe

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

"It is not BRP who has the reins on dealers, it's Federal regulation."

Aha! I stand corrected. Then we need to lean on BRP.

Is there an exception for aftermarket wheels? How does that work with an automotive store that specializes in custom wheels (like the big, shiny 24+ inch chrome ones that the urban assault commandos favor on their jacked-up donks)?

Yes, the best solution would be for BRP to get another tire manufacturer to build a good tire for the Spyders. Quantity and subsequent cost is the big challenge. Kenda itself may not even have the equipment to build a better tire.

Either those wheels are custom in every respect except mounting hole pattern and rim bead contour and dimensions, or the tires and wheels have special designs that are referenced to each other. As long as the rim matches what the tire manufacturer specifies there's no problem. In what I have read the reg does not prohibit tire and wheel manufacturers from designing custom bead designs, but the tires must be labeled as to its approved use.

The yearbook of the Tire and Rim Association would be interesting to look through. Trouble is, it's not available on the 'net and a copy costs $100 to $120.